


The Aftermath of Calamity

by littlebrokendream



Series: The Beauty of Angst [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alec is heartbroken, Alec is so smol, Angst, Asmodeus is a bitch, Edom Angst (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Help, How Do I Tag, I hate hurting my children, Jace and Izzy find him, M/M, Magnus has gone to Edom, and feel bad, because he is so in love, can i just say i love malec, obviously, sorry for the angst, who made Magnus go there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-06 17:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14062050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlebrokendream/pseuds/littlebrokendream
Summary: In a fleeting moment, the world changed forever. Not just for him, but for everyone around him. And the reality is, the only one who can bring everything back together is the one who broke it in the first place.OrThe one where Jace and Isabelle find Alec after Magnus leaves with his father for Edom.





	The Aftermath of Calamity

**Author's Note:**

> A little one shot I wrote when thinking about the Edom angst that is soon to come.
> 
> I hate hurting Alec, but it makes for good storylines.
> 
> This is my first work, so apologies for any mistakes or just bad writing in general.

When Izzy and Jace arrived at the apartment, Alec was alone. He stood, arms limp at his sides, staring at a wall. Or what used to be in front of it. They could hear his broken, shallow breaths, sounding as though the air had only just been returned to his lungs.

They must be careful, that was for sure. Something was wrong. Isabelle and Jace knew it. Jace could feel it. A dull burn of the rune, and aching, unexplainable pain. Indescribable, and yet familiar. The psychological pain his Parabatai seemed to be feeling, was familiar.

Perhaps not on the same scale, but Alec had felt this way before. Jace had observed it, the ebbing ache, the way his brother had absent-mindedly held his side - the pain. He would later find out why. Damn Magnus Bane.

But this, this was worse. 

Alec must have heard them, but it was like he was paralyzed, frozen in a moment in time. The sound of Izzy's heels was impossible to miss, as for the sound of Jace placing his Seraph Blade in his thigh holster. Still, he didn't even flinch. 

Hesitantly, Isabelle advanced forward a little more, letting her whip slither back onto her wrist. "Alec?" She spoke tentatively, not daring to touch her brother. 

Jace, on the other hand, refused to distance himself from his troubled parabatai, reaching out to gently touch Alec's shoulder. Without warning, the eldest Lightwood grabbed his blade, spinning around to hold it fiercely against Jace's neck. 

It was far worse than either of them has anticipated. Alec's eyes were wide in surprise, yet held more pain than thought imaginable. His lower lip was ever so slightly trembling, his eyes bloodshot and the hand holding the blade was shaking. 

Alec had spent his life using his face as a facade. At Clave events, he would smile, shake hands. As a trainee-leader, he would always remain level-headed, never letting emotions crack through the surface.

After all, emotions cloud judgement.

Yet, the facade had shattered. 

"Woah" Jace gasped, stepping backwards quickly, "Same side, remember?"  
After a few moments, the Seraph blade clattered to the floor, Alec's arm falling limply at his side. Izzy pulled Jace away, stepping in front of her brother. "Alec... what's wrong? Where's Magnus, I thought he was going to-"  
"He's gone." Alec's voice was deadpan, monotone, empty of all expression an emotion. 

"He's gone? Where?" Isabelle frowned, for some bizarre reason looking around the room as if Magnus would just walk out of his and Alec's bedroom.  
"He's gone. To Edom." 

They had all heard of it. Edom, the demon realm. Stories of the hell-like world where Lilith had been banished to. Of course, no shadowhunter had ever been there, not to their knowledge, and so no one truly knew what horrors the realm held.

Jace was angry. He shouldn't be, that he knew, but he couldn't contain it. No, it wasn't Magnus' fault, it couldn't be, and yet still he felt a bubbling sense of anger at the warlock for leaving Alec again. His brother was sensitive and reserved. But when he met Magnus, for the first time, it was like he was finally allowing himself to accept that perhaps he could be loved after all.

And yet again, Magnus Bane had broken his parabatai's heart, whether intentional or not. 

"Oh, Alec. I'm sorry." Isabelle finally spoke up, despite not knowing anything except the basic fact. Magnus was gone, and Alec was alone. "I'm so sorry. But, by the angel, why would he go there? To Edom? Without- without you?"

Alec didn't answer. He didn't want to. He didn't want to talk or move or even breathe. Truth be told, all he wanted was Magnus. He knew far too well that the warlock had the power to take care of himself, but that didn't stop the pit of dread gouging out his insides. It hurt- by the angel it hurt. 

But Magnus was coming back. He'd promised. He wouldn't break a promise. Or perhaps, promises are easier to make when even you are unsure whether or not they are achievable. Then you don't have to bear the guilt of lying to the one you promised because there is always a possibility that it's not a lie.

The parabatai rune they shared throbbed, Jace could feel it. Not physically, no, but pain ebbed through their connection, like current through a wire. 

Cautiously bending down to pick up the blade Alec had dropped, Jace placed it tentatively on the table, before embracing his brother in a fierce hug. It was retrained, practically unreturned. "It's gonna be okay." He muttered. 

No, it wasn't. It wasn't going to be okay. Not until Magnus was back in his Brooklyn apartment, safe in Alec's embrace. Perhaps it was cliche, but it was the truth.

"You should go," Alec spoke for the third time since they had arrived, pushing Jace off of him. His voice was hoarse, matched with short breaths.  
"But-" Izzy began to protest before her brother shut her down.  
"The demons, Iz." His hazel eyes pleaded with her, begged to be left alone, and so she reluctantly obliged.

As the door slammed shut, Alexander Lightwood curled up onto the soft couch, feeling it mould to fit his large form. A single, salted tear ran down his blotched cheek. 

***

"You're gonna make it back." It was more of a plea than a statement, his hands gripping onto the lapels of the velvet jacket.  
"Why wouldn't I?" A faint smile sent light creases up Magnus' skin, as he cupped Alec's cheeks. "Look what I have waiting for me."

***

For now, he was broken.


End file.
